Epic antifoul fail

[Sailing steve]

PBO test winner applied in the spring - no names mentioned, but it wasn't cheap.

Three beachings and scrub offs so far this season and each time the hull has been thick enough with slime to completely hide the antifoul colour and noticeably slow the boat down.

I don't remember remember fouling anywhere near as bad as this in the past. Anybody else had the same experience, and is this really as good as antifould gets nowadays?

 

[johnalison]

Although I have taken the boat out every week, at least for a short run, the bottom is thick with weed. I am not getting enough time on board to justify a haul-out and have to put up with struggling to motor within almost a whole knot of usual speed. It does seem particularly bad this year.

 

[Frayed Knot]

PBO test winner applied in the spring - no names mentioned, but it wasn't cheap.

Three beachings and scrub offs so far this season and each time the hull has been thick enough with slime to completely hide the antifoul colour and noticeably slow the boat down.

I don't remember remember fouling anywhere near as bad as this in the past. Anybody else had the same experience, and is this really as good as antifould gets nowadays?

Why no names mentioned? They’re hardly likely to prosecute you for defamation.
This year I upgraded from Hempel Classic, which was good but has become less effective year on year, to Tiger Extra which has had less weed growth but the slime layer is shocking. Even after a 9 mile windward thrash at 7kts+ it was still there.

 

[Tomahawk]

Where are you moored? And how far from a STW outfall?

 

[Frayed Knot]

Not sure who you’re asking but I’m on the Deben which is, apparently, filthy but it may just be down to the exceptional weather & warmer water temperature. The slime scrubs or scrapes off really easily with a long handled scrubber.

That aside, I’m highly sceptical regarding magazine product tests/comparisons. There’s a huge conflict of interest as they rely on the makers of those very products for advertising revenue. I’ve been so persuaded & subsequently disappointed too many times.

 

[GrandadPig]

I have come to regard anti fouling paint as barnacle food.

seriously thinking of trying a season without. Could it be any worse really?

 

[Kukri]

On the Orwell, I have been pleased with Ocean Performer and Mille. Not perfect but pretty good.

The only useful comment from a paint maker that I ever got came from the Hempels’ stand at a London Boat Show when I dropped into the conversation that I had seven large container ships to dry dock. Out came the comfy chair and a glass of fizzy wine, so I asked which colour is best: the answer is red, as it has less pigment in it.

Alas this is all that I can offer.

 

[Major_Clanger]

Modern antifouling doesn't really work very well, it's not allowed to.

I've used Hempel Hard Racing, Micron 350 and Shogun 033 over the last six years and none of them have been particularly good. If you can get hold of some commercial antifoul then that'll be better. There are other options, and I was particularly interested in Hempels' silicone finish, but my boat's not fast enough to use it sadly (as I understand it you've got to be able to average 7kts STW for it to stay clean).

I brought a boat back from Malta a while ago that had recently had ultrasonic antifouling fitted. By the time we got to Gib the growth was dreadful and we'd lost almost a knot of hull speed!

 

[Frayed Knot]

seriously thinking of trying a season without. Could it be any worse really?
[/QUOTE]
Yes, I think it really really would be. I only have to leave my unpainted dinghy in the water alongside for a week or so to start getting weed & tiny barnacles.

 

[xyachtdave]

PBO test winner applied in the spring - no names mentioned, but it wasn't cheap.

Three beachings and scrub offs so far this season and each time the hull has been thick enough with slime to completely hide the antifoul colour and noticeably slow the boat down.

I don't remember remember fouling anywhere near as bad as this in the past. Anybody else had the same experience, and is this really as good as antifould gets nowadays?

Yes to same experience, racing Dragon owner locally scrubbing weekly, I've had 2 scrubs this season and another on Friday. Boat looks awful at the moment.

Warm water, loads of sun = exceptional growth. In the Medway/Thames Estuary the silt/mud suspended in the water coats the boat with muddy slime, the fouling grows on this, what brand of paint beneath that is irrelevant.

I have tried many brands of paint, zero difference between their performance.

It's truly depressing to launch a polished and immaculately painted boat and 4 weeks later it looks like it's been in all winter.

:-(

 

[RivalRedwing]

SML Cu-Pro doing well on the Orwell as usual

 

[Kukri]

Having moved from the Deben to the Orwell a few years ago, after 29 years on the Deben, I think there is more fouling in the Deben.

 

[Concerto]

I antifouled last August with Micron 350 in Dover white. Whilst berthed in the Boat Show, I could not believe the green weed that had grown in 3 weeks. Once back in Chatham Marina I knew I would have to scrub the waterline fairly quickly. In fact I need not have worried as the grey mullet ate it all within a few days. During the winter months a very slow build up of slime started. I did not have time to get lift before I started my Round Britian trip, but after a few fast sails, the hull was almost white all over again. Periods of limited boat movement or slower sailing always results in some fine weed, then another quick blast of fast sailing and it is all almost gone again. This has been repeated several times. Currently the hull looks like it has been in the water for only a short while. So it seems the answer to make the antifouling work as it should, use your boats a lot more, especially in strong winds.

Edit. I did see this boat which had some of the worst fouling I have ever seen.


Are any of your boats as bad as this?

 

[Sailing steve]

SML Cu-Pro doing well on the Orwell as usual

Interesting. I'm on a mooring in Twizzle Creek not far from you.

I'd never heard of Cu-Pro 'till I did a bit of Googling. It's claimed to be the strongest available and effective for up to three years and if that's actually the case then problem solved.

 

[jant]

Fouling in brightlingsea is particularly bad this year, most are blaming the very warm waters

 

[RivalRedwing]

Interesting. I'm on a mooring in Twizzle Creek not far from you.

I'd never heard of Cu-Pro 'till I did a bit of Googling. It's claimed to be the strongest available and effective for up to three years and if that's actually the case then problem solved.

no promises , mix it well. SML produced this after Jotun/HSE regs stopped them supplying SeaQueen to DIY persons.

 

[Sailing steve]

no promises , mix it well. SML produced this after Jotun/HSE regs stopped them supplying SeaQueen to DIY persons.

Ta for that.

Xyachtdave made a good point further up about fouling growing on the mud and slime east coats boats invariably attract rather than the antifoul itself. Potentially of course that's the problem I may have rather than the antifoul itself being a bit, well rubbish.

Although it's an eroding product I've scrubbed my hull reasonably hard with the current a/f and not seen the clouds of blue paint in the water when I've done the same with other eroding products which is ideal as that suggests I'm not sacrificing much of the coating.

 

[peter.m]

I have come to regard anti fouling paint as barnacle food.

seriously thinking of trying a season without. Could it be any worse really?

Experimenting with that this year. I've done one scrub in July, after two months in the water. Was no worse than any of the other boats nearby. I will see what the condition is at the end of the season.

 

[GrandadPig]

Interesting. What if we are being sold snake oil all this time???

 

[Biggles Wader]

I tend to look at what the local fishing boats use and try to get hold of some of that. Last time I bought someone's leftover part tin quite cheap and very good it was too!